Rohit Sharma chose to keep the cards close to his chest during the pre-match press conference when asked to choose between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant as India's keeper for the T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday but deep down he would certainly have made up his mind. To be honest, his words also had an indication. It is likely to be Dinesh Karthik, purely because of the role that is available in the batting unit. Yes, Karthik hasn't been able to make any noteworthy contributions in the World Cup yet but how many clear-cut opportunities has he got to make an impact apart from the match against South Africa? When he had just started to find his groove against Sri Lanka, he was run out.
At the No.7 spot, Karthik still is a better bet than Pant, who is a top-five batter. Sharing his thoughts on the same, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said that it is unfair to expect MS Dhoni or Yuvraj Singh-like finishes from Karthik, who has done a great job so far.
“I think I have no choice. I would go with Rahul Dravid because he likes Rishabh Pant but I would like Dinesh Karthik who was playing earlier. Yes, it’s so tough to bat at that number, not many could do what Dhoni and Yuvraj did and you’re comparing DK with those players, who have been champions of the game. And yes, DK is a great, great player who has done well to get to this level. I think he should be given a go. But yes they also want to have another left-hander in the team," he said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Live.'
The veteran cricketer also spoke about Rohit Sharma's form adding that the India captain can put the disappointments of the Super 12 stage behind and provide the goods like Pakistan star openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam did in the semi-final against New Zealand.
{{/usCountry}}The veteran cricketer also spoke about Rohit Sharma's form adding that the India captain can put the disappointments of the Super 12 stage behind and provide the goods like Pakistan star openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam did in the semi-final against New Zealand.
{{/usCountry}}“I think this will create an opportunity for him to show his mettle. What we saw today with what Babar and Rizwan did, big players in big games, they go on to perform and Rohit is a big, big player and we all want him to score runs. When he scores runs, it feels like he’s batting on a different surface, no matter how difficult that surface is. We all want him to come into form and he’s been practising and trying. Things didn’t work so far, but it doesn’t mean it won’t work tomorrow. Tomorrow might be his day and when his day comes, India are going to win,” he added.